Connection method

Abstract

A failure of communication between a first device and a second device is managed. A failure of communication between the first device and the second device is detected at a third device intermediate. The first data is transmitted from the third device to the first device. The first data indicates that the second device is unusable by the first device.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of managing a failure of communication between a first device and a second device comprising:
 intercepting, at a third device intermediate to the first device and the second device, first data provided from the first device to the second device, wherein the first data comprises a data field indicating a transaction between the first and second devices to which the first data belongs; 
 detecting, at the third device, failure of communication between the first device and the second device such that a response to the first data will not be received by the first device, wherein detecting failure of communication between the first and second devices comprises transmitting third data from the third device to the second device and determining that failure of communication between the first and second devices has occurred if a response to the third data is not received from the second device within a predetermined time period; and 
 emulating, at the third device, continued communication from the second device by generating at and transmitting, from the third device to the first device, second data indicating that the second device is unusable by the first device to prevent a service interruption of the first device resulting from the response to the first data not being received by the first device from the second device, the second data comprising a part that indicates a source of the second data, the part of the second data indicating the second device so that the second data appears to originate from the second device, wherein said emulation comprises selecting, at the third device, an error message from a plurality of stored error messages, wherein the selection is based at least upon the transaction indicated by the data field of the first data, wherein the selected error message is included within the second data. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second data comprises data indicating that the second data is in response to the first data. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second devices is a server. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first and second devices is an I/O device. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first device is connected to the second device via a PCI Express connection. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second data indicates that the second device is unreachable. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second data indicates that the second device has malfunctioned. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second data indicates that the second data is corrupted. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting failure of communication between the first and second devices comprises detecting that a cable connecting the first and second devices has been disconnected. 
     
     
       10. A computer program product comprising a computer useable storage device having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a third device intermediate to a first device and a second device causes the third device to:
 intercept first data provided from the first device to the second device, wherein the first data comprises a data field indicating a transaction between the first and second devices to which the first data belongs; 
 detect failure of communication between the first device and the second device such that a response to the first data will not be received by the first device, wherein detecting failure of communication between the first and second devices comprises transmitting third data from the third device to the second device and determining that failure of communication between the first and second devices has occurred if a response to the third data is not received from the second device within a predetermined time period; 
 emulate continued communication from the second device by generating and transmitting second data to the first device to prevent a service interruption of the first device resulting from the response to the first data not being received by the first device from the second device, the second data indicating that the second device is unusable by the first device, the second data comprising a part that indicates a source of the second data, the part of the second data indicating the second device so that the second data appears to originate from the second device; and 
 select an error message from a plurality of stored error messages, wherein the selection is based at least upon the transaction indicated by the data field of the first data, wherein the selected error message is included within the second data. 
 
     
     
       11. A computer program product comprising a memory device having stored therein a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a third device intermediate to a first device and a second device causes the third device to:
 intercept first data provided from the first device to the second device, wherein the first data comprises a data field indicating a transaction between the first and second devices to which the first data belongs; 
 detect failure of communication between the first device and the second device such that a response to the first data will not be received by the first device, wherein detecting failure of communication between the first and second devices comprises transmitting third data from the third device to the second device and determining that failure of communication between the first and second devices has occurred if a response to the third data is not received from the second device within a predetermined time period; 
 emulate continued communication from the second device by generating and transmitting second data to the first device to prevent a service interruption of the first device resulting from the response to the first data not being received by the first device from the second device, the second data indicating that the second device is unusable by the first device, the second data comprising a part that indicates a source of the second data, the part of the second data indicating the second device so that the second data appears to originate from the second device; and 
 select an error message from a plurality of stored error messages, wherein the selection is based at least upon the transaction indicated by the data field of the first data, wherein the selected error message is included within the second data. 
 
     
     
       12. A computer apparatus that manages a failure of communication between a first device and a second device comprising:
 a memory storing processor readable instructions; and 
 a processor arranged to read and execute instructions stored in the memory, wherein the processor readable instructions comprise instructions arranged to control the computer to: 
 intercept first data provided from the first device to the second device, wherein the first data comprises a data field indicating a transaction between the first and second devices to which the first data belongs, 
 detect failure of communication between the first device and the second device such that a response to the first data will not be received by the first device, wherein detecting failure of communication between the first and second devices comprises transmitting third data to the second device and determining that failure of communication between the first and second devices has occurred if a response to the third data is not received from the second device within a predetermined time period, and 
 emulate continued communication from the second device by generating and transmitting second data to the first device to prevent a service interruption of the first device resulting from the response to the first data not being received by the first device from the second device, the second data indicating that the second device is unusable by the first device, the second data comprising a part that indicates a source of the second data, the part of the second data indicating the second device so that the second data appears to originate from the second device, wherein said emulation comprises selection of an error message from a plurality of stored error messages, wherein the selection is based at least upon the transaction indicated by the data field of the first data, wherein the selected error message is included within the second data. 
 
     
     
       13. An apparatus, comprising:
 a resilient cable adaptor that intercepts first data provided from a connected first device to a connected second device, detects failure of communication between the connected first device and the connected second device such that a response the first data would not be received by the connected second device, and emulates continued communication from the connected second device by transmitting second data to the first device to prevent a service interruption of the first device resulting from the response to the first data not being received by the connected first device from the connected second device, the second data comprising a part that indicates a source of the second data, the part of the second data indicating the connected second device so that the second data appears to originate from the second device, the second data indicating that the connected second device is unusable by the first device, wherein the first data comprises a data field indicating a transaction between the first and second devices to which the first data belongs, wherein the resilient cable adaptor is further arranged to select an error message from a plurality of stored error messages, wherein the selection is based at least upon the transaction indicated by the data field of the first data, wherein the selected error message is included within the second data, wherein detecting failure of communication between the first and second devices comprises transmitting third data from the resilient cable adaptor to the second device and determining that failure of communication between the first and second devices has occurred if a response to the third data is not received from the second device within a predetermined time period.